Journalists Matter, Council of Europe Campaign for the Safety of Journalists
The Council of Europe encourages member states to transpose the Campaign to the national context. Without each member’s committed and effective effort at national level, through the development of the so-called ‘national chapter’, the Campaign cannot reach its goals.
In this section, we will present developments in Switzerland.
National Focal Point
Mr Andrin EICHIN, Senior Policy Advisor International Relations at Swiss Federal Office of Communications
National Campaign Committee
In Switzerland, the Sounding Board, preexisting national stakeholder committee, has been developed and created under the National Action Plan on the Safety of Media Professionals by an iterative process of engagement with stakeholders.
The Sounding Board was created consisting of ten representatives of
media associations,
media training institutions,
the Swiss Broadcasting Association,
the Swiss Press Council,
and trade unions.
Since early 2024, the Swiss section of Reporters without borders is also part of the Sounding Board, bringing it to a total of eleven members. The Sounding Board is convened by the Swiss Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM).
Within government, OFCOM has consulted several relevant bodies at federal and cantonal level during the elaboration of the National Action Plan. These include most notably the Federal Media Commission (FEMEC), the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ), the Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO), the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and the Conference of Cantonal Police Commanders of Switzerland (CCPCS). These bodies are not formally part of the Sounding Board. However, OFCOM ensures the coordination between the Sounding Board and the different government entities.
The Sounding Board meets several times per year, usually between 2-3 times, in person. The main role of the Sounding Board is to ensure timely and coordinated implementation of the National Action Plan. As such, it assesses and scrutinises progress on the different measures and provides its suggestions on the implementation efforts. This is crucial given that ownership of the different measures is divided between government and different actors in the media sector. During the elaboration of the National Action Plan, the engagement included also several written consultation periods, where members of the Sounding Board were able to give their feedback on draft version of the Action Plan and suggest modifications.
Safety of Journalists national landscape
In 2022, Switzerland adopted its first National Action Plan on the Safety of Media Professionals. The plan's development commenced with a non-representative online survey conducted in February 2022, followed by a roundtable with media professionals in May 2022, and a subsequent meeting with the media industry in September 2022 to define the Action Plan's priorities.
Switzerland adopted a bottom-up approach, engaging various stakeholders at different levels to identify areas of action. Initially, media professionals and their employers were surveyed to understand the challenges they face. This information was further refined through a series of roundtables, workshops, and consultations with the Sounding Board.
The primary objective of the Action Plan is to elevate the issue of media professional safety to the public agenda and raise awareness among the wider society and politicians regarding the challenges faced by journalists. Four key areas of concern have been identified and will be prioritized in the implementation:
Enhanced recognition for the role and profession of journalists and media professionals.
Improved protection against threats and online hate speech.
Strengthened physical protection for media professionals, both domestically and internationally.
Increased understanding of the challenges posed by abusive lawsuits against journalists (SLAPPs).
The Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) provides detailed information on the planned implementation measures on its website, with a dedicated page for the Action Plan.
One significant challenge encountered early in the process was the lack of a broad evidence base and well-structured data. In Switzerland, the safety of media professionals is often illustrated through individual cases or international comparisons, which complicates: clearly identifying and generalizing the threat situation; recognizing challenges specific to Switzerland, comparing developments over an extended period.
To address this, OFCOM will conduct an initial survey on the safety of media professionals as part of the National Action Plan. This survey, scheduled for publication in Q2 2025, aims to improve the overall assessment of the situation and inform potential follow-up actions to the National Action Plan.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The Action Plan for the safety of media professionals in Switzerland comprises nine specific measures in the areas of awareness-raising and prevention,...
Switzerland, National chapter
